New housing on tap for Concordia Village

By: Erna Braun, MLA for Rossmere

As published in The Herald

April 24, 2013

I am a Home Economist and spent many years teaching both at the junior high and senior high level. Throughout my teaching career, the core values that my students learned
were the importance of family and community.

The essentials of Home Economics stressed the importance of shelter, food and clothing and how these played a fundamental role in helping individuals achieve success in
families and, in turn, become responsible and contributing members of our community.

Our provincial budget is putting families first by recognizing the need for affordable housing for all Manitobans. It will invest in building hundreds of new affordable
housing units and increasing unique supported living opportunities.

What this means to the constituents of Rossmere is a very innovative new project. A week and a half ago, I had the privilege of taking part in an announcement at Concordia
Village. It was a very exciting announcement for me because I felt it demonstrated those core values that I spent over 30 years sharing with my students.

Together with the federal government, the Province of Manitoba unveiled its plans to develop affordable, integrated and supported housing. The building will be part of the
Concordia Village campus and will meet an important need in our community. Not only will Concordia Village 4 provide needed affordable housing but integrated into the complex
will be housing options that will support individuals and families with mental health needs.

An important partner to this endeavour is Eden Health Care Services Inc., a private non-profit, faith-based organization that has been providing mental health services for
many years in southern Manitoba. They will provide on-site services which will assist the families and individuals with the supports that are crucial to maintaining permanent
housing, something many of us take for granted.

We know that safe and stable housing is necessary for families to thrive and prosper. This initiative will extend that basic human need to 45 households at Concordia Village 4, giving those families the opportunity to become part of a community and to flourish.